Kingston’s serious crime numbers decline

KINGSTON >> Reports of serious crime in Kingston during the 12-month period ending in November 2013 were down more than 11 percent from the previous 12-month period, according to data provided by the city police department.

Violent crime, however, was up, rising from 65 incidents in the first 12-month period to 69 in the second, a 6.2 percent increase.

For the most part, a decrease in property crimes fueled the overall downward trend. Those crimes were down 12.9 percent, including a 14.5 percent decline in larcenies.

The total number of serious crimes in Kingston dropped from 795 in the 12-month period ending in November 2012 to 705 in the following 12-month period, a decline of 11.3 percent, according to the statistics.

Police Chief Egidio Tinti could not be reached for comment on Friday but has said in the recent past that crime decreases are due, in part, to his department’s focus on trying to eliminate opportunities for criminal behavior.

Tinti has been a strong advocate of so-called “community policing” — educating city residents about ways to prevent crime and getting officers to be more visible on city streets.

He also has credited the cooperation his department gets from other law-enforcement agencies, including state police, the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, the Ulster County District Attorney’s Office and the neighboring town of Ulster Police Department.

Mayor Shayne Gallo credited Tinti and the rest of the city police department for the drop.

“Chief Tinti ... has been very effective in addressing public safety concerns of our community,” Gallo said.

Tinti has said that while serious crime has dropped significantly in the past decade, the police department’s rank-and-file membership should not be reduced. He says city police officers deal with numerous incidents each year that are not included in the serious crime categories, such as the sale of illegal drugs and domestic violence complaints.

In some cases, he said, their responses to such incidents prevent serious crimes.

Gallo agreed cuts should be avoided.

“If anything, (we) should try to increase the personnel to give help to those already working so hard with less resources,” he said.

According the new statistics, serious crimes in Kingston during the 12-month period ending in November 2013 included:

• One homicide in Kingston, compared to zero in the previous 12 months. In early February, Anita Jacobs-Royer, 45, was found strangled to death at her home at 56 Third Ave. Audelis Cruz, 49, who knew Jacobs-Royer, was convicted later in the year of murdering her.

• 23 robberies, up from 18.

• 636 burglaries, down from 730.

• Four rapes, unchanged.

• 41 aggravated assaults, down from 43.

• 524 larcenies, down from 613.

• Nine motor vehicle thefts, down from 10.

The last year the number of serious crimes in the city topped 1,000 was 2005, when the total was 1,208.

About the Author

Paul Kirby is a reporter for the Freeman, covering Kingston politics. He has been at the Freeman since August 1996. Reach the author at pkirby@freemanonline.com
or follow Paul on Twitter: @PaulatFreeman.